For a solo winter meal, start by choosing an herb that suits your dish, then pick a container that lets you take out a small amount. A 50 g tub is still a supply to portion out, not an individual serving; even individually frozen herbs aren’t necessarily pre-portioned for one meal.
You prepare one or two portions and want to take out a little herb at a time, without accumulating lots of opened large bags. Picard and Carrefour offer assortments that include 50 g tubs, which you can portion out to suit your dish.
You’re looking for a ready-chopped herb to finish a soup, omelette, mash or sauce. Picard, for example, suggests chives for omelettes and mint or coriander for certain soups.
If parsley features regularly in your recipes, a 250 g bag like the one offered by Picard could suit your needs. You’ll still need to be able to take out the amount you want and store the rest according to the instructions on the pack.
For a solo meal, start with the dish you’re cooking, then consider how easy the herbs are to take out and the size of the container. A small pack and individually frozen herbs address different needs: neither means the herbs are portioned for each meal.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Taking out a small amount | Pack weight and how easy it is to take out the herbs once opened. | When I’m cooking just one plate, I want to take out a little herb without opening several packs; around 46% of consumers put portion control first. |
| Choice of herb | Whether it’s a single herb or a blend, and whether the blend’s ingredients suit the dish you’re planning. | To finish my soup or omelette quickly, I want a flavour that suits my recipe; around 27% of consumers prioritise this match. |
| Size of your stock | How often you use the same herb and how many packs you already have open. | If I often cook with parsley, I’d rather have a format I’ll use regularly than several varieties that sit in the freezer; around 18% of consumers prioritise managing their stock. |
| Storage | Pack instructions, the condition of the product when you buy it and the journey home to your freezer. | When I bring frozen food home, I want to maintain the cold chain and put it away quickly; around 9% of consumers make storage their priority. |
Picard describes the pieces in its salad herb mix as individually frozen and packaged in a shaker tub. This doesn’t specify how much to use or how many meals it will make; a 50 g tub still needs to be portioned out.
If you want to take out a little at a time, check the shape of the herbs and the container. Don’t assume the pack’s total weight is one portion.
Soup, an omelette and fish don’t necessarily call for the same herbs. Having several large bags open can be impractical if you only make each recipe occasionally.
Start with the herbs you’ll use in the dishes you actually make. Picard, for example, suggests chives with omelettes and dill with salmon.
Being able to take out a small amount doesn’t remove the need to maintain the cold chain. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) recommends keeping the journey home with frozen food as short as possible and not refreezing food once it has thawed.
Pick up frozen food at the end of your shop, use an insulated bag if needed and put the herbs in the freezer as soon as you get home, following the instructions on the pack.
Picard offers, among other things, 50 g tubs of frozen herbs and a 250 g bag of chopped parsley.
Carrefour’s range includes several frozen herbs, such as basil, parsley and chives, as well as 50 g packs.
Auchan offers 50 g packs of Darégal frozen herbs, including coriander, chives, basil and parsley.
If you shop at E.Leclerc, check the frozen herbs available at your local store or through its Drive service.
ALDI says its ALL SEASONS brand includes herbs among its frozen and tinned products.
Lidl has a frozen food section to check at your local store.
No. The 50 g tubs offered by Picard, Carrefour or Auchan are small containers, not portions defined for one meal. Take out the amount that suits your recipe and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
Choose an herb to suit the dish you’re making. Picard suggests, for example, mint or coriander for certain soups, chives for omelettes, parsley for sautéed potatoes and dill for salmon. A small container can be handy if you don’t use that herb often.
No. ANSES recommends not refreezing food once it has thawed. Take out what you need without letting the rest thaw, and follow the instructions on the pack.
Pick up frozen food at the end of your shop and put it in the freezer as soon as you get home. To maintain the cold chain, ANSES recommends keeping transport time to a minimum; use an insulated bag if needed for your journey.
No. Also check the storage temperature and duration on the packaging, along with any instructions for after opening. France’s Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control reminds consumers to follow the storage conditions specified by the manufacturer.